Battle of Linc
The Battle of Linc (2400) was a small scale but vital engagement during the 3rd War of Barnard's Star. A small flotilla of Allied escorts defeated a numerically larger Imperial force and helped rebuild the confidence of the Allied troops following a six month long period where neither side seemed able to gain an advantage. Taking place over two days the battle was unusual in that it was the largest combat not to involve any capital ships, only escorts and fighters. Background Commerce raiding was a major component of the 3rd War, both sides regularly sent single ships and small task groups behind the others lines to hunt down merchant vessels and lone warships. The longest running of these was the Commonwealth Operation Black Goose which saw small groups centred on light carriers spending weeks at a time within Imperial space. The USSN frequently sent groups into Imperial space from the Epsilon Eridani system. The Celestial Empire had the advantage that many Commonwealth interests were in the Old Reaches, an area where unmarked supply ships could infilitrate in ahead of the raiding ships allowing them to stay on station for long periods. The cruiser the Golden Arrow famously destroyed scores of Allied ships within the Old Reaches thanks to a string of support ships, many of which flew false flags of convenience. Linc in the Barnard's Star system had for a long time been an important world for both the US and UC. The planets mineral rich crust supplied both countries with a large proportion of its strategic metals including many of the so-called rare earth metals. The planets low gravity and lack of atmosphere made it incredible easy to lift these metals to orbit and the planet was ringed by a number of ship yards both military and civilian. Prelude to the Battle - Incursion Three Seven On the 8th of March 2400 a battlegroup of eight Imperial Han-class destroyers and ten Yan-class frigates, designated Incursion Three Seven, managed to bypass the Barnard's Star system and penetrate towards the US system of Eta Cassiopeiae A, site of the oldest and largest American colony Gemini. Once there the Imperial ships scattered and began striking at the vast numbers of merchant ships gathered there. Desperate to chase down the raiders the commander of the systems garrison called in reinforcements from other systems. A flotilla of four Commonwealth frigates were despatched from Tau Ceti along with a USSN action group of two destroyers and three frigates. At the same time more than half the garrison from Linc were ordered to move out, three Dallas-class destroyers and the sole cruiser in system, the USS Kennedy. All this left in the Barnard's Star system was the elderly destroyer-leader HMS Adelaide, and the frigates HMS Husky, USS Bear River and USS San Pablo along with a detachment of four Albatross-class cutters of the US Space Patrol. Also based in system were two fighter squadrons operating from Linc itself - 303 Squadron RAF with twelve Puma strike fighters and the 217th Tactical Fighter Squadron USAF with sixteen FT-28C Lightning IV multi-role fighters. On the 12th of March the light carrier USS Boxer, passing through the system whilst on route to Eta Cassiopeiae A, experienced an overload in her FTL drive leading to a small explosion. Despite a speedy response by both the ships crew and the automated systems the Boxer was effectively crippled. After emergency repairs she managed to limp the rest of the way to Linc. An examination of Boxers hull showed that several sections of her frame had become warped and she was immediately put into drydock for repairs. Boxers' battlegroup, consisting of the destroyer Tallahassee and the frigates Cumberland and Hound Fish, had recieved orders to continue to Eta Cassiopeiae A to help in the hunt for Incursion Three Seven when, in the early hours of the 14th of March long range sensors picked up another large Imperial force transiting into the system. This force was designated Incursion Three Eight and plans were quickly drawn up to face it. Incursion Three Eight Incursion Three Eight was initially intercepted by the cutter USS Forrester which was able to report the incursions strengths before been destroyed. Incursion Three Eight was considerably larger than Three Seven and consisted no fewer than ten Han-class destroyers and twelve Yan-class frigates. The Forrester reported that half of the frigates were each armed with eight "Tapir" C4 heavy missiles. The Tapir was an older design with poor speed and an easily decoyed seeker head, as a result it was of little use to even elderly Allied warships but deadly against merchant shipping and orbital facilities. As Three Eight approached Linc it became apparent that the Imperial objective was not to hunt merchant ships but to threaten the extensive network of stations and ship yards in orbit around Linc Day One - Opening Moves Day Two - Hunting for Scraps Footnote Incursion Three Eight was destroyed without managing to destroy a single Allied merchant ship or damage the shipyards around Linc. Its predecessor, Three Seven, however went on to be something of a problem for the Allies. A total of nineteen merchant ships were destroyed by Three Seven along with four warships (three USN, one RSN) and over two dozen fighters before the last ship was confirmed destroyed on the twelth of May 2400. Category:Battles Category:3rd War of Barnard's Star